Into the Labyrinth

[Gotham Witch]

The first thing I noticed as I ‘came to’ was the scent of burning oak.

I took a moment to look around. I was bound to a stake. There was a firing beginning to go around me. All the while, crowds of middle ages peasants were jeering at me in German.

“A witch burning, how original.” I noted dryly.

“A just end, harlot.” Came ‘its’ voice.

I looked about the crowd briefly – there he was, next to the town crier who was announcing the death of the ‘sodomite witch’.

“You’ve been absent. Shame on you.” It tsked me with a menacing grin, waving a finger, “You can stop putting on the brave face now, witch.”

“I’m sure you’d like that.” I noted as I flexed my arms, snapping the ropes with an audible crack, “But we have a score to settle.”

“There’s nothing to settle.” The entity noted as the peasants began to scatter around it, the nightmare not budging a bit, “This has been fun, but tonight you’ll die like you should have in the assassins’ dream.”

“Bold words for a young lady’s guilt and rage.” I noted, clenching my fist, “You do realize you’re in my dreams this time, right?”

“You haven’t learned, have you?” it leered at me, “Your godless ways are powerless against me. All you’ve succeeded in doing is hurting those you supposedly cared about. Even your assassin lover has left you.”

I narrowed my eyes at that, “You really should shut up now.”

“She’s being satisfied by the good doct-“ I didn’t let it finish as I raised my hand, bringing up a large stone fist to try and knock him into the air. Unfortunately, it didn’t work as it effortlessly brushed the attack away with ease.

“I said shut up.” I said coldly.

“So she sticks her head in the sand and blinds herself to the truth like some sort of dodo.” It said with a self-righteous laugh.

“That’s ostrich, you self-righteous fucker.” I sneered as I clapped my hands. Two stone fists immediately slammed together with a rumble, sending more dream folks scurrying away from the town square.

“Oh no – I mean dodo. Your story ends tonight, unless you can finally see some sense.” The nightmare acted like It was doing me a grand favor, as it offered so oh generously, “Walk away, never talk to Hannah again, and I will let you live to repent for your sins.”

“Go to hell, puppet.” I said defiantly.

“Why not one last time in heaven?” It asked. Suddenly the perspective shifted as the dream went dark. I found myself lying on my bed, its twisted face hovering over me as he noted, “Even though you’re beneath such parting gifts?”

At one point, I’d have panicked and probably sobbed hysterically. This time, I did the practical thing – and flipped gravity.

Surprisingly, that caught off guard a bit – enough for me to kick him in the belly with both feet and send him spiraling towards the ‘floor’. Before he could respond, I immediately reached towards my bedroom window, and went flying straight through it, focusing very hard on being elsewhere.

Suddenly I was back in Edinburgh. I had gone there for a trip when I was 21. The Royal Mile was exactly as I remembered it – even with all of the Scots wandering about.

“You always delay the inevitable, witch.” ‘It’ said from behind me as I turned about. The nightmare was walking towards menacingly, looking more amused than annoyed at this point.

I didn’t waste words as I reached out again, imaging myself atop one of the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle. Everything tunnel-visioned around for a moment before I found myself hanging off of one of the spires – with Not Ron balanced precariously atop, smirking down at me.

“Catch me if you can.” I said, rather boldly jumping from the ledge. That turned out to be a mistake, as the next thing I knew I was dangling from the ledge with a noose that just appeared around my neck.

“Caught you.” It gloated, just as a gunshot rang out, slicing the rope in two as I resumed my fall. The nightmare growled as it looked over, seeing Diana standing there with a gun pointed at him.

“You.” It hissed, squinting, “No, you’re just this whore’s dream puppet.”

“Don’t listen to it, Mel. You can do this.” Jinx cheered me on as she fired a few shots, vanishing just before it brought down several thunderous strikes of lightning where she had been standing.

As I continued to fall, the dream world shifted again as I passed through the rapidly approaching ground, stone and metal shifting to clouds and blue sky. There was a screech as I felt myself landing on a bed of feathers. I could hear the rush of wind and flapping of wings as I patted the giant eagle.

“The witch thinks she can fly.” I heard from behind me as my mount suddenly screeched. I looked over and saw a large spear wound in its chest, the eagle slowly dissipating into the stuff dreams were made of as I began to fall once again.

“Better than crawling.” I taunted back as we had both begun to fall through the clouds. As it reached for my neck with its hands, fingers instantly becoming talon like, there was a thud as the clouds just above me condensed into concrete with a human shaped imprint, stopping the nightmare for maybe half a second before it dramatically scattered the nimbus formation. It was just enough time for me to focus on somewhere else to be.

I landed with a plop in some shamrocks, dusting myself off as I glanced around. The stone walls were overgrown with ivies, as from my hill I could see myself overlooking a maze of passages and obstacles.

“Down the rabbit hole.” I murmured as I focused towards a random part of the maze, making the leap just as I could hear the nightmare popping in behind me.

“Why won’t you sit there and die?” it shouted in some frustration as it tried to close off my exit with a sudden growth of vines. It tried to bend perspective so it was right on top of me – only to disappear under a boulder that fell from above with a crash.

“I never listened to my authority figures.” I noted as I waved a hand, burning the vines into ash before continuing my run. Behind me, the rock split straight down the middle and fell in half on both sides of the nightmare as he continued right on my tail with not even a scratch on him.

I’ll let you all in on a little secret – I had this entire maze planned out. Every trap and stop point was deliberate; I even included a few I had no plans to use. There were a lot of quick corners and dead drops - anything to keep Not Ron from being able to jump in front of me in a reliable fashion. Keep in mind none of this was meant to stop it – I just needed to really tick the nightmare off.

That and I wanted a tangible reminder that I wasn’t helpless – even if the nightmare could still murder me (quite easily).

I dove around a corner as Not Ron blinked to my position again, swiping an arm and narrowly missing me diving through a trap door as I heard stone and hedges exploding from his projected force. I barely acknowledged the dream stuff scattering about me as I blinked towards the floor of the passage below me.

“When will you cease this pointless running, harlot?” whispered the nightmare (loudly, I would add) as it once again tried to grab me at the bottom of my descent. Rather rapidly, I imagined myself right above it as it landed, the ground beneath the nightmare crumbling out from under him suddenly into a black void. Quickly, I punched the stone wall of the shaft in front of me, knocking open a second exit with an explosion of masonry before dream-jumping through it – diving right into a lake at the bottom of a waterfall with a cold splash.

The water in the lake suddenly blew away into nothingness as the nightmare appeared at the top of the Cliffside waterfall, spitting out angry tirades that somehow managed to avoid profanity. He was starting to get rightly pissed at this point as he looked at the empty basin, seeing only twitching fish.

“I will tear your bones out through your flesh you useless whore.” Its voice boomed, “Stop stalling and let the Lord have his justice!”

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize?” I asked from behind it, quoting 1st Corinthians as I stood there on a rock above the waterfall – just to urk it.

It worked. It screamed in rage and flung himself at me in the blink of an eye – doing what I wanted it to do. As it rushed towards me, the picturesque forest waterfall scene shattered like stained glass, the walls of the stone and ivy maze surrounding us once again as the nightmare went through both the illusion of myself I had conjured (a very pretty illusion of me, I would add) and the stone wall behind it with a thunderous crash.

Not my fault It was too pissed off to sense if I was using magic or not.

“For if God is with us, who could be against us?” I recited Romans from my position behind a boulder. I quickly made flight with a quick, hasty series of perspective jumps, the turns of the maze becoming very dark and winding as the enraged nightmare made after me.

“Blasphemer! Whore! Witch!” it screeched at me, its features downright inhuman at this point, stone and metal screeching behind me – sometimes only mere inches away – as I stayed just a heartbeat away, the raging darkness never leaving of the corner of my eye.

As the maze warped around me with each spatial jump and turn, I could make out subtle patterns in the ivy that I set up to indicate I was near the end. At that point, I was tired, scared shitless, and wanted this thing locked away. I just hoped the others were ready.

I was going to be cutting this close – very close.

[Cybermancer]

In all of this plan, there wasn't really much for me to do. All I had to do is wait at the end of Mel's maze. I could have used the same projector that Jinx was using to aid Mel but it may not have been fooled or raised to the bait. No, the only way to be sure that it would leave Mel's maze was to have bait that it couldn't pass up. So I went to the dreams of others in person, through a portal created from the real world to there.

It seemed like an eternity that I waited before I finally saw Mel running towards me, with a look that was equal parts fear and determination on her face. She saw me and knew that her trials were nearly done. She acknowledged me with a nod before taunting the dream entity one more time, encouraging it to come around the corner after her.

Mel dropped out of sight and the dream entity scanned it's surroundings for her. Then it sensed me, where I was standing at the threshold of the maze as had been planned. It narrowed its eyes at me with malice and suspicion. “You...”

“Yes, it's me. Here in the flesh. Breathe deep, you should be able to smell for yourself.” I said with a smirk. “Can you guess what I've been up to recently?”

The goading had the desired effect. The search for Mel was over. At that moment I don't think it could possibly have thought of her, so focused and intense was its rage for me. Immediately it shifted it's perspective so that it was directly in front of me, filling my senses with feelings of rage and discontent. “I am going to end you!”

As planned, I started to step back through the threshold. Half in and half out, I paused as it did not immediately begin to follow me. Hesitant lest it fall into some trap of mine and leery of something that did not feel right to it. Yet still it loomed over me, with beady eyes intent to stop me from escaping. It reached out for me.

It should not have forgotten about or ever have underestimated Mel. Seeing or sensing its hesitation, she decided to help it along its way out of her carefully constructed maze. With a train, no less. First the engine and then each car impacted the entity from behind, forcing it forward and onward.

The unfortunate thing was that I was still in the way. As quickly as I could, I pulled my self forward and to the right. Even as I was about the clear the portal, I felt the shrapnel of dream train tear up and down through the skin of my left leg. Most of the dream substance dissipated as it passed through the portal but some of it interacted in an unpredictable manner when it contacted my very real body. In particular, a rail spike from torn up tracks lodged itself into my leg all the way to it's mushroomed head.

Trying to stand up, I collapsed again. The plan had called on me to get clear of the area as soon as possible. With the pain in my leg arguing with me, I had made a critical error. I had for the briefest of moments forgotten where I was. Instead of changing my perspective, I had attempted to move and run physically, because I was there, physically.

Physical or not, it was there with me as well. Before I could refocus my attention to elsewhere, it reached out with cruel talons that dug into my already pained limb. I was dragged bodily to it where it's other hand reached down and grabbed me by the neck in order to hoist me up. Immediately, my air supply was cut off.

It did not seem the worse for the wear for having just been hit from behind by a speeding train. “Well, well. What do we have here?” It brought my face to it's nose. “All this time that I've been wasting, trying to get that harlot to kill you and you deliver yourself to me? Surely the lord is great and has seen fit that I should finally punish you for your many sins.”

“How stupid of you, to face me in the flesh.” The sneer was distorted what might have been an expression of joy. “Or are you really so arrogant that you thought you could possibly stand against me, oppose me in the realm of dreams where none can challenge me?”

I'm sure my face must have been quite purple then, as I hung there at the end of it's arm, quite helpless to do anything or to even respond to its questions and statements. It was not a situation that was easy for me to endure.

“Finally your pride will be your downfall!” It laughed, twisting happiness into something else less positive. “I am going to strip the skin from your body slowly. Your screams will not deter me and your pain will last for a long, sweet time. You will be punished fool, for your stupidity. You will suffer moron, for your poor choices.”

With tainted glee, it continued to taunt and lecture me. “You cannot save yourself and there is no one else who is going to come to your rescue. After all your lies, you will finally end and none shall ever know of it! Despite your grandiose self-image of yourself, you will fade away in obscurity.”

For some time it chortled, “this is really better than I could possibly have hoped. I can't believe that witch would lead me right to you like this! A gift from heaven, delivered by a sinner! The irony is almost too much to take.”

I was losing focus as darkness clawed at the edges of my vision, forming a narrow tunnel of vision.

“Your godless lies will end as screams of agony! Your corruption is now halted! You are powerless.” He lifted me even higher above him, “Powerless! Do you hear me? There is nothing you can do about this! NOTHING AT ALL SHALL STAY MY RIGHTIOUS MIGHT AND WRATH! BEFORE THE END, YOU WILL KNOW THAT I AM MIGHTIER THAN THOU!”

Finally it loosened his grip on my throat, allowing precious and sweet smelling air back into my burning lungs. Clearly choking me out was too quick for it. “Any last words?”

“Idiot.” I croaked out, “did you really think I would risk this without a plan?”

“Did the plan include dying?” It sneered at me.

“It included the possibility,” I admitted. “But mostly it called for you to look behind you right about now.”

It's laugh was mocking, “I'm not falling for that!”

That's when the most important part of this plan spoke up. "and here I was hoping to see the look on your face when you realized where you were."

I got to see his face, and it was worth it all, even after he dropped me on my bad leg.

[Hannah]

I suppose now is when everyone expects the flowery details of what I did to the Nightmare once it was back in my dreams.

I'm going to be sorry to disappoint here, but there isn't much to tell.

I shut him down hard. His abilities stopped working and I wrapped him in chains heavy enough to hold an aircraft carrier's anchor.

I ignored his howls of protest while I went to check on Matt. "You were supposed to get out of the way silly. “ His leg looked pretty bad. “I can try to fix it here, but I don’t know if a dream fix will help in the outside. Can you get back on your own?”

He gritted his teeth. “I can manage for a while if you need my help.”

I smiled. “This is the one place where you don’t need to ride to the rescue. I’ve got this, go get your leg taken care of.”

He nodded, said a few other things I don’t feel like publicizing and left.

I turned back to the nightmare. I was already beginning to feel the surge of new memories being reintegrated with my existing ones. “I’m getting tired of this. I have no idea what it’s going to take to get you to stick where you are supposed to be permanently, but this is the last time that you hurt anyone I care about.”

It opened its mouth to protest and I silenced it with a nice haymaker.

That’s when I woke up and started crying.


Hannah

[Ron Caliburn]

Well done Melissa. It took me months to learn how to fight it in my own dreams, you picked it up in a little more than a week.

Take care of that leg Matt, I have a hunch you'll be spending a lot of time trying to keep up otherwise.

I'd offer a pat on the back to each of you in person, but we all know what would happen then.

[Tms3]

When something holds you in terror it holds power over you. The things and people that seek power in such was are the things that least deserve to have power over any thing. You have done well. you have faced your fear, took back what is yours and now all that is left is you better and stronger then you where before.

In my order part of the work is to unlock the abaltys of or mind that we have intrusted to guardians in order to take possession of those we have to face those guardians and show them that you can now take guardianship of that your self. Often that is done throw trance work, and inner shmatic jurnery. I have seen many fail that test. just as there are few that can look unflinchingly into there own soul.

Hanna this may be one of the hardest things you will ever do and you did vary will. We do not take outsiders into the order often. but should you Choose that is what you wish to do. I will sponsor your request. That is not something you should chose quickly one way or the other. and the offer will remain open for the rest of my life. let me know if you need any help dealing with the parts of your self you have freed form taking care of that damned thing.

Ron Try not to be agree at your daughter she did what she had to do. and she did so in a smart way. usaily we have or students face there fears and gardions alone or semi alone granted this was a special case. so she rightly got the help of others I should have realized what was going on I could have been of help. but then hanna would not have wanted me to stick my neck out for her.

PS Ron I know some people there in my order and depending on where you are there lisincends psychiatrist. There use to dealing with the effects of varies mind assaults including dream attacks, brain washing, post possession, psi mind control, and spells and compulsions they dont just treat people in the order, and there vary good at dealing with this stuff with out making you look like you are crazy. hell they treated a few police officers whom still dont know what they where really being treated for and there still on the force and doing vary will. let me know if you think they could help you and one will be there with all due hast

[Cybermancer]

Don't worry, Tms3.

Both Ron and Hannah are in good hands.

I'm not going to go into details beyond that on a public forum.

[Hannah]

Thank you for your offers TMS.

I am going to decline the offer of joining your order. I spent my childhood raised by people who referred to themselves as a Brotherhood and as an Order. My grandfather was their leader. After my experiences with them, I can't claim to entirely be comfortable with the idea of joining an Order myself.

We are already fortunately in good hands for having the repercussions of this incident dealt with, but the offer of help is very much appreciated.

[Grace]

The last time this thing got out, I was it's mental punching bag. Wie came to rescue me then. It was a combination of her efforts and those of skeptic that helped me put my mind back together again. And over the last couple of years, other events and people have helped me get it together again and put my past behind me.

I was just starting to think that I might live something like a normal life again.

And then it got out again and it did worse to me this time around. Even now that it's locked away again, I'm still dealing with all the fall out from all of this. I'm not going to go into details about what it did to me. It's way too personal to talk about here. I'm not going to talk about the fall out either. That's even more personal. Those who need to know, already do.

Even though there's no Wie and no skeptic to swoop in and help me this time, there are others who are stepping up to do what they can. One hero in particular has gone well above and beyond the call of duty to save me. He knows who he is.

I'd be remiss if I didn't go on though. Especially since I'm essentially acting under doctors orders here. There are people out there I need to thank for their part in trying to help me, even if there were varied levels of success.

I need to thank Ronin twice over. He stopped me from doing something I would have regretted for the rest of what would probably have turned out to be a very short life. And then he did something very brave if ultimately foolish and futile in order to help me. I know he has things he has to take care of at the moment but I'm sure he's still reading so here's my thanks until I can do it in person.

I also need to thank the woman known as Jinx. She tried to help me when Matt initially captured me along with a couple of others. She again tried to help with Ronin and Gotham Witch in an abortive attempt against the entity in my mind. I'm sorry I couldn't help in the fight for that one, guys. Anyway, thank you, Jinx.

Finally and most importantly I have to thank Gotham Witch. I know she did all she could to help me and to save me. And when it was finally over, she risked my anger and voltile mind in order to let me know that the worst was finally past. Our paths may now take us apart but I won't forget everything she did for me and everything she tried to do for me.

If I've learned anything from this incident, it's that I may never have what one would call a normal life. But maybe, just maybe I can have a happy life.

Hannah,

I know you're going to be beating yourself up over all of this. Don't. It's done and over and we're doing all anyone can do to ensure it never happens again.

If you drop by, I have an answer to that question you asked me. I have a suspicion you'll like it.

I also have a question for you to answer.

Oh yeah, Matt... I haven't forgotten about you, either. I probably won't be seeing you face to face for some time so I'm going to say what I gotta say here.

I'm sorry I tried to shoot you in the face.

(But you're a dick and sorta deserved it )

I hope in the future we'll all be able to be friends again.

[Ron Caliburn]

Matthew, Melissa,

I don't apologize much, especially when something else is responsible for making me do what I did, but I am sorry for my actions towards you recently. You two are good people and have been great companions to my daughter, especially in this difficult and dangerous situation.

Thank you.

[Cybermancer]

Darcy,

Thank you for the apology and for your (I hope) humor.

Mr. Caliburn,

Thank you for the apology as well.

It has been my privilidge to aid your daughter through these difficult times.

[Gotham Witch]

Ron - you didn't do a thing to me. You have nothing to apologize for. It's been... difficult for all of us.

I wasn't really up for spill my guts time; heck, I feel I do way too much of it in my Case Files. But it's been my thing of late, apparently, so...

I never really considered myself a good person; I'm maybe a 'not bad person' at best. It might just be the mood of late but I also certainly don't feel like good people right now. I'm not an awful person (I don't think), but I certainly wouldn't call myself great. I'm just... human. Very, very human.

So it's always surprising when I look around and realize what wonderful people are in my life; selfless, courageous, intelligent, and interesting. They're people I hardly deserve to have in my life, and in my ways hard for me to get used to. Yet still they refuse to let me go.

Okay, maybe they aren't always intelligent. But still, I'm thankful for having them - even if I don't show it often enough.

[Cybermancer]

Melissa,

You are one of the most compassionate, intelligent, resourceful and helpful people I have ever had the privilidge of working with.

Yes you're human, and as flawed as the rest of us. That doesn't mean you're not a good person. So don't sell yourself short.

If you have good friends in your life who won't just abandon you, that says a lot about you, doesn't it? Most of it good.

[Hannah]

Mel,

I still stand by my statement that you are someone I like, admire and hope to be a lot more like in the future. In short you are awesome and I have never regretted for a moment anything I have ever done with you except that which inadvertently caused you pain or sorrow.

Hannah

PS: I mean it, you're both a friend and a role model.

[Gotham Witch]

Eesh, I wasn't fishing for support, people.

...but thanks.

[Hannah]

Your welcome.

Hannah

PS: Apparently you are so awesome the fish just jump into your boat.

[Tms3]

I just felt the need to make the offer. And it still stands. But we do not force people. And maybe in time. my people can be less fear full and more open with outsiders. that is my hope. We got in the habit of hiding and gotten really good at it, and even though I think it is not necessary now and even not all that helpful. old habits die hard, and there or those that say I am to open. but then my family has always been mavericks. But as far as I am consonred you have proven your self worthy to know any thing you need that is in my power to provide.

And I understand why you would feel unconformable with the idea. But what I was trying to put accorss form what I have seen you have proven your right to call your self and adult. and are porbly more worthy then I am for a druids robes

[Hannah]

Thank you TMS3

Hannah.

[GhostSpider]

Round of applause all around kids. Socked him with a haymaker huh. Hannah, you are my hero.

[Hannah]

Thank you again, GS.

Hannah

PS: I could go for this Hero thing . . .

[Cybermancer]

Thank you again, GS.

Hannah

PS: I could go for this Hero thing . . .

Clearly you've been keeping bad company.

[Hannah]

Clearly you've been keeping bad company.

The worst, which is the best of course.

Hannah

[Grace]

Clearly you've been keeping bad company.

The worst, which is the best of course.

Hannah

Clearly they are both talking about me!

[Hannah]

Clearly you've been keeping bad company.

The worst, which is the best of course.

Hannah

Clearly they are both talking about me!

Clearly!

Hannah.